Now You Can Bleach Your Hair Without Damaging It

While other twentysomethings may walk purposefully into a salon with a clear idea of what they’d like to do with their hair – lavender tones or a balayage, please – I’d often arrive without a concrete plan. For me, I’d rather allow my colourist to get creative, although that takes a lot of trust (and a strong heart for surprises).

My colouring journey began when I was 21, which is pretty late by most standards. I didn’t have anything against my raven black locks, but the possibility of jazzing them up with bright, bold colours has never been more tempting then. I’d like to think of it as a coming-of-age thing, but to each his own.

And so from discreet dark red highlights to more adventurous options like shocking pinks and cobalt blues, I’ve tried and loved ‘em all. Sometimes I go Why did I choose that colour? when I come across older photos on my Instagram feed, but that hasn’t stopped me from having fun with dyes and hair colour trends! After all, if not now, then when?

I’ve had pink and purple hair for some eight months now, and it was time for a change. But I was also afraid of the damage that’d come with the bleaching – hair colour enthusiasts will know the pain that comes with brilliant colours. So when I was introduced to in-salon system Olaplex, I took the opportunity to try it out alongside my next colouring session at the spacious Kimage Cove (Level 2, Marina Square).

Celebrity hairstylists have sworn by the efficacy of Olaplex, and celebs like Kim K, J Lo. And Cameron Diaz are huge fans too. What it essentially does is this: Olaplex helps to permanently rebuild damaged disulphide bonds within the hair. These bonds often break during chemical processes like colouring and perming, and Olaplex is like a “reset” button for damaged tresses. And if you are wondering, it’s suitable for all hair types and is free of nasty stuff like silicone and sulphates.

Olaplex No.1 was mixed into the bleaching concoction to protect my hair from the hour-long bleaching session; The final look: bleaching and colouring didn’t leave my crowning glory looking like a bunch of straw

There are three steps to the treatment, and two of them are done at the salon as part of the colouring or perming process. In my case, Olaplex No. 1 was mixed into the bleaching concoction, while Olaplex No. 2 was applied on my hair for twenty minutes after the bleach was rinsed off. Olaplex No. 3 is a pre-shampoo weekly treatment that can be done at home.

I liked how simple the process was, and that it didn’t take up much more time than your usual salon sesh. It didn't have any intolerable, funky smell either. Honestly, it was a little worrying for me to go through the bleaching session; I was afraid my hair would end up brittle and dry like straw. But I left with soft and bouncy tresses in striking shades of blue and purple – hair-pyness can be so simple!

Update: Five days later, the condition of my hair is holding up just fine. The colours, however, aren’t so lasting. They’ve faded to a paler version of their original shades.

At Kimage, Olaplex (No.1 and No.2) is priced at $50 as a separate add-on for long hair. The No.3 Hair Perfector retails for $75.